TIME CHANGE: Bring your Cardinals questions and comments, and talk to Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold in a live chat.at 10 a.m.

Question - Probably a dumb question, but how does Cordoba feel about his situation in San Diego (has it been reported)? In cases like his, do players feel like their growth, as a player, is being stunted, or is he instead ecstatic to be in the majors and happy with (what I imagine is) the salary bump?

Thanks!Happy Fan

by Happy Fan5/8/2017 4:42:30 PM

I have not seen a report/quote about Cordoba's feelings outside of the natural thrill of being in the majors as swift as he is now and, of course, the substantial huge big massive pay raise. The other question you ask is the one that has really preoccupied me for awhile. We hear/write so much about what this does for the team, what this does for the lineup, what this does for the organization, and its chances to contend or its chances to rebuild or its chances to make a trade. Blah blah blah. We need to ask more about what it does for the individual player. Is this going to inhibit the player he could be -- down the road, even if it's for another player. Look, baseball teams aren't altruistic. They are in it to win it, and they'll step over the injuries and the failed prospects to the next player to make that happen. That doesn't mean we the media have to fall in line. If an early promotion like that is detrimental to a player's development and is going to truncate an All-Star career into a one-year experiment we should discuss that and ask about it. So, I've started. Had a long talk yesterday about it, and I've been trying to look into examples. There are -- well, there isn't a proven answer. There are players who have been pushed and thrive and those who are pushed and vanish, but how do you prove they wouldn't have vanished anywhere? I'm going to keep asking.

by Derrick Goold5/8/2017 4:46:14 PM

Are there any real possibilities that Waino would ever move to the bullpen. I love him, but he is not IMO making the strides that everyone was promising in Spring training. It's like they won't even consider moving him because it's "Adam Wainwright"

by Jake5/8/2017 4:46:20 PM

There are possibilities, sure. That would be something they'd discuss with Wainwright and Wainwright would discuss with them. But that is either years down the road or would involve the Cardinals having a starter or two better at this point. Are you suggesting they do?

by Derrick Goold5/8/2017 4:47:10 PM

Will Adams, Garcia, Adams Fyer get a start today because the game went so long yesterday.

by Curt5/8/2017 4:47:14 PM

Not necessarily. Day game. Done in plenty of time. Reasonable turnaround.

by Derrick Goold5/8/2017 4:47:32 PM

These wags on MLB are promoting an automatic runners at 1st and 2nd beginning the top of the 11th inning, how ridiculous is that? Yeah, lets make baseball like the NFL.

by AustinTx5/8/2017 4:47:43 PM

Ridiculous. Never happen. A joke.

by Derrick Goold5/8/2017 4:47:52 PM

Is there a reason that the Cardinals "6th starter" seems to get hurt year after year? Marco, Lyons, Cooney, Gant, Gast, etc. Maybe something about being stuck in between the starting / reliever role and the uncertainty or different training regimen?

by Andrew5/8/2017 4:48:00 PM

Yes, because pitching is brutal. The act of pitching is an injury waiting to happen, and therefore when someone does it repeatedly over time and under stress they risk injury. They are one of 30 teams that experience this every season, several times each season.

by Derrick Goold5/8/2017 4:48:42 PM

(sorry, not sure if my question went through)

I was curious what you thought about the Matt Harvey/Mets spat. Seems to have really gone sour. Do you think he will finish the year with the Mets? If not, any thoughts on what teams would be most likely landing spots?

by Eli5/8/2017 4:48:54 PM

He'll probably finish the season with the Mets and be a delightful grump the entire time. Teams will line up to make a move for him because of the Change of Scenery theory. Off he'll go the Marlins or to the Diamondbacks or Cubs -- now there's an interesting fit -- or Dodgers or some such team. And he'll do fine, but won't change all that much. We've seen this happen before. Time is a loop.

by Derrick Goold5/8/2017 4:50:39 PM

After hearing FSMW discuss it, is the knuckleball a dying art?

by Warren5/8/2017 4:50:42 PM

Dying? No more so than it was 20 years ago, or 30 years ago. But a few still throw it.

by Derrick Goold5/8/2017 4:51:04 PM

Any updates on the pursuit of Luis Robert? What level would he likely be placed at for the team that signs him?

by stale peanuts5/8/2017 4:51:10 PM

Hi there. Thanks for the chat. Any new updates on Luis Robert?

by David7547547575/8/2017 4:51:17 PM

Teams have lined up and some have had their private workouts with Robert, and that list does include the Cardinals as of this past week. Houston, White Sox, Cincinnati, and San Diego are also some of the teams who have reportedly (or confirmed by the PD this past weekend) had time with Robert. John Mozeliak, the Cardinals' GM, has also upped his involvement in the pursuit now in the past week or so. He quietly eased away from St. Louis and saw Robert in person as part of a group from Cardinals that saw Robert last week in the Dominican. That would mark the third time they've had scouts see him and that group would have been expanded for this look-see last week. So, the Cardinals have had an informal work with him, they attended the showcase, and then the one-on-one. The Cardinals, as you can imagine, are not real keen to advertise or even confirm that they saw him. Not like some other teams have, so I've had to get it from elsewhere. That's partly a tell on Mozeliak's involvement. He's not one to promote interest or his involvement, because it rightly hints at the seriousness of the team's pursuit and he doesn't want to give away -- or lose any perceived leverage. They see Robert, a Cuban teen outfielder and considered a Moncada-level prospect, as a singular talent to sign at a singular moment because they're already over the spending limit, they don't have a first-round pick (which he is clearly that level), and they want to add some talent depth to the organization.

What level? Seems like Class A is a good place to start. Maybe see him at a GCL first, then a turn up to short-season Class A. I bet a team like the Cardinals would place him based on geography as much as talent level. So like GCL and then Florida State League makes more sense than say all of a sudden off to State College.

by Derrick Goold5/8/2017 4:57:40 PM

Question on David Bell and bench coaches in general. 1. David Bell and Mike matheny seem to.constantly be in each other's ear during games. Are most bench coaches as involved in the moment as bell? 2. What is a typical bench coaches responsibilities ? Thanks

by DEK5/8/2017 4:57:56 PM

1. Yes. That's the job.

2. The bench coach is both a safety net and a sounding board. For most teams, the bench coach tracks the rosters of both teams and the usage and who is available and who isn't so he can alert the manager when he's about to trap a batter against a lefty or get stuck with a pitcher in an undesirable matchup. The bench coach also, for a lot of teams, is the conduit between the manager at the video/replay staff. With the Cardinals, Bell is also involved in defensive positioning and passing along signs.

by Derrick Goold5/8/2017 4:59:31 PM

(Oh, and one big role of the bench coach throughout baseball is organizing and scripting spring training workouts. Mark McGwire has a different sort of bench coach role in San Diego because, as he told me, the front office analytics provides a lot of the info that other bench coaches gather.)

by Derrick Goold5/8/2017 5:00:19 PM

Who do you think signs Luis Robert?

by Ruis Lobert5/8/2017 5:00:25 PM

Leaders at the moment are believed to be White Sox or Cardinals, with Houston and San Diego poised to move into that rank, too. That's just the feel from folks in greater know than I am about the other teams. I have heard from outside sources about how intrigued/aggressive Houston and White Sox want to be.

by Derrick Goold5/8/2017 5:01:02 PM

In watching Sierra play for Peoria last year, he impressed with his arm as well as his speed in the outfield. How would your rank him with the other Cardinals outfielders from an arm strength/accuracy?

by IowaCardFan5/8/2017 5:01:46 PM

Top two of the group on the 40.

by Derrick Goold5/8/2017 5:01:55 PM

Can you explain why it made more sense to call up Mags rather than add someone to the 40 man (Bader, Garcia etc.)? My understanding is we have an open spot on the 40 man, correct? Purely informational, I am excited as anyone to see Mags run around in center!

by Adam M5/8/2017 5:02:07 PM

Please scroll back in the chat because this was answered in detailed a few times. Thanks.

by Derrick Goold5/8/2017 5:02:25 PM

I was gloating over Schwarber's .198 batting average and .321 OBP until I realized our lead guy has a .299 OBP. Who will have a better OBP at the end of the year, Schwarber or Fowler? No matter what, Maddon is still a genius right?

stltoday.comBlast in 14th inning is one of four hits, including an earlier round-tripper.

by Derrick Goold5/8/2017 5:08:58 PM

What's the longest game you've ever sat through/covered (time/and or number of innings)?

by JP5/8/2017 5:10:00 PM

The 20+ innings, Cardinals vs. Mets, game a few years ago. And then the longest was the game that ended around 3,15 a.m. between the Cardinals and KC Royals on the day George Brett debuted as KC's brief hitting coach. Remember that one? I'll never forget the umpires telling tired folks in NYC that they couldn't "take this game away from" Kansas City given how the Royals had just rallied.

by Derrick Goold5/8/2017 5:11:03 PM

I continue to scratch my head over the way Chris Maloney coaches at third. Is his job on the line?

by imetsatchelpaige5/8/2017 5:11:11 PM

The Cardinals have, in the past year, made it clear that they will make a move when they see something is awry with Matheny's coaching staff. They, however, have also made it clear that whenever possible they will choose continuity and either stay with within or promote from within.

by Derrick Goold5/8/2017 5:11:52 PM

With all the talk on speeding up the game, has the discussion ever centered on using Fox Track system to call balls and strikes? it would eliminate the inconsistency on the calls, which are left to the "personal" discretion of the umpire behind the plate. How many times have we seen an inning extended because he umpire called a ball right down the middle on at the belt. The home plate umpire would still be there to call foul tips, foul balls down the infield and plays at the plate. We use videos more, why not automated ball/strikes!

by Larry5/8/2017 5:12:05 PM

If they could rely on FOX TRAX accuracy then there would be reason to have this discussion. The tech has gotten better, but it remains flighty and if it's not accurate 100 percent of the time -- or, for the sake of argument, a tick better than the umps who are nearly that accurate -- then it cannot be used. A few of us writers went through a discussion with major-league officials a few years ago about how umps are graded and how they grade-out better than the strike zone trackers, in part, because of the factors that bother the tracks and don't the umpires. One example given was how on a windy day, the trackers get distracted by -- and this was the example -- a hot dog wrapper. We watched video of the pitch coming across the plate from every angle available and it was clear a strike. The track showed it soaring out. It was off the entire at-bat. The umpire was not.

by Derrick Goold5/8/2017 5:14:36 PM

Seems teams have shelled out lots of money on Luis Roberts-type players in the past few years...Cuban players with massive potential. Have any of them been worth the money so far?

by Nate5/8/2017 5:15:34 PM

Interesting question. Let's see what research I can access here 30,000 above the Midwest.